Fire-control apparatus particularly intended for naval guns.



W. AKEMANN.

FIRE-CONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FORNAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 3, I920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. AKEMANN.

FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR NAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- s. 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. AKEMANN. FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR NAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT;3, 1920.

1387 440, Patented Aug. 9,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Naval Emu, or Essen. Guam, assumes. no FRIED. xnu'rr' Axrmn- 1 GESELLSOEAFT, ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR GERMANY- emu-contact. arranarns ranrrcunaaar m'rnm'mn r03. naval. Guns."

ine astic.

Application filed Eeptembcr s, 1am. semi No. 408,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that/l, WALTHER AKEMANN, residing at Essen, Germany, a citizen pf the German Republic, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-(lontrol' Ap aratus Particularly intended for uns, for which I have filed application in Germany, filed June 26, 1917,05

which the followin is a specification.

Thi invention mates to a fire control apparatus which is particularly intended for naval guns, and in which one part of the adjustable parts, corresponding to the ad vanced ignition, of anapparatus for efi'eCting the laying of the gun, is so connected by means of a lon ratu's to a stabilizable sighting instrument placed at the observing station that it .acc-urately reproduces the movements of the sighting instrument as regards angle, while the other part is mounted on a member which takes part in the adjustingmovement of the gun barrel.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which illlustrates diagrammatically two constructions intended for naval guns.

Figure 1 shows the first construction.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of Fig. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking from the left, 1

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.4 of Fig. 3, looking from the left and Fig. 5 shows to the same scale as Fig. 1 a second construction with the parts which are situated at the observingstation omitted.-

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4., A. denotes a gyroscope casing which is set up at the observing station and cam oscillate about a horizontal axis B, which coincides with the axisof oscillation of the gun barrel and can be stabilized by the gyroscope (not shown) suspended by means of a Cardan suspension, 6 is a sighting telescope rigidly attached to the axis B and on this axis B is. also rigidly mounted a toothed sector b which is connected by toothed wheel gearing b 0 to the rotating part of a transmitter C of an electrical long distance controlling apparatus mounted on the casing A of the yroscope.

. The casing A is rocked about its horizontal axis by a hand wheel D, on the shaft al and said shaft 2Z is mounted on the base of v Specification of Letters Eatent. v 1 Pathlifid teeth a on the casin distance controlling appa Au 9, tear.

the casing of the gyroscope, and carries a worm d which cooperates with a series of A. The transmitter C is electrically connected by a long distance conductor E with a receiver G mounted on the gun carriage F of the gun to be fired. Upon the shaft 9 of the receiver G, turning in bearings g fixed to thegun carriage F, is mounted-a worm 9 which gears with a worm wheel 72. This worm wheel k is mounted to rotate loosely on the trunnion J, about the axis of the trunnion. Upon the worm wheel h is rigidly mounted an arm H forked at its free end (see Fig. 3) and one of the forked ends 1:; constructed in the form of a tongue shaped circuit-closing piece k and the other has a tongue-shaped stop h both ends lying in the same axial plane. The general arrangement of the long distance controlling apparatus 0, E, G, which transmits the ro- 'tary movement of the sighting telescope b to the arm His such, that every rotary movement of the sighting telescope b with respect to the casing A results in a similar rotary movement of the arm H. Onthe. front of I the trunnion J is rigidly fixed a box J which contains in its interior in addition to the parts already mentioned namely 9?, 9 and k H, If, it a small casing J and a motor K. This motor K is for the purpose of adjusting, by means of a pinion gear withinthe casing J (see Figs. 2 tot), a circuit-closing piece 2' cooperating with the circuit-closing piece If, to correspond to the preliminary ignition angle which is necessary. The circuit-closing pieces k and i are included in a circuit which contains the firing magnet (not shown) of the gun and forms a circuit-closing apparatus, by the closing of which theoperation of firing can be accomplished. The box J is closed at the front by acover (not shown in the drawing), in which is inserted a piece of glass for observing the-arm H and the part" of the pinion gear which cotiperates therewith inclosed in the casing J The pinion gear inclosed in the casing J ed to rotate freely on ,3, haft 17 carried inbearings in the casing J To i the hollow shaft z" is rigidly attached a toothed ratchet wheel 2", On a circular-shaped disk z" keyed closeup against the ratchet wheel c' is pivotally mounted a pawl i which bears against a pawl i mounted on the casing J This pawl 11 (see particularly Fig. 3) is wider than the pawl i and bears when n the position shown in the drawrng, agalnst a recess 2' in the disk 2' (see Fig. 4;). The disk 73 has a gap in it, i, through WhlCh a tooth i fixed on the pawl '5 pro ects. When the pawl c1 emerges from the recess a 1n the disk 21 and'relea'sesthe pawl a, th s tooth can engage under the action of the spring 2' (see Fig. 4) with the ratchet wheel i and thereby couple the hollow shaft i to the shaft 2'. The release of the pawl 2' is 'efiected by a tongue i which projects through a slot 2'" in the caslng J 2 and is rigidly connected to the pivot pin of the pawl i. The point of this tongue 2 protrudes in to the path ofthe tongue-shaped stop h fixed on the arm H so that the stop It can bear against the tongue e and when the stop it moves in the direction of the arrow w (see Figs. 2 and 4) can carry the tongue i a short distance agalnst the actlpn of a spring '5 attached to the tongue e f. On the shaft z" in addition to the dlsk 2 rs also keyed a disk cam i against the sp rally curved external surface of which, a hook-shaped lever arm i of a, bell crank lever pivotally. mountedin the casmg J bears, and the other arm of which is formed by the circuit-closing piece 2' This circuitclosing piece 71 projects'through a slot '5 path of the circuit-closing V the' circuit-closing piece hcanfeo nei' into contact with thecircuit-closingp1ece 11 :9

in the casing J 2 and a tension spring 2' attached to the circuit-closing piece 2' tends to permanently press the pointof the lever arm against the edge of the disk cam 2 The length of the circuit-closmg piece c is so calculated that its point projects into the arm H, so that the tWo circu1t-closing pieces 2' and k can in pas'slng, say, during the upward rolling of the ship, touch each other.

The tongue 2' and the circuit-closing piece i inclose, in the position shown in the drawing, in which the pawl i bears against the recess 11 and the hook-shaped lever arm 7: lies on the lowest point of the disk cam 2', a small angle with each other, so that on a rotary movement of the arm H, in the ,direct-' tion of the arrow wthe tonguei must be touched by the stop h a littlefsooner than In order'that the working ofth'e'above a scribed fire control apparatus maybe-readily;

understood it will be" first assumed tliatth ship has taken its middle ,floatin'g'positi'ojn and does not makeany rolling movements and thatthe parts of the apparatus are in the position'showii in the drawings.

elevation. This rotation is piece k on the If for examplethe gun is to be laid 'to correspond to the range of the target by means of the above described fire control ap aratus and fired, the sighting telescope is adjusted 'to the target tobe fired at, with the gyroscope in action, and maintained in this position, by suitable lateral pressure'on 1' one Cardan ring of the gyroscope apparatus, in' a manner similar to that described in my co-pending application, Ser1al.No.

408,090. The gyroscope casing A is next rocked by. rotating the hand wheel 1) through the angle corresponding to the range of the target. As the sighting telescope 6 does not alter its position owing to the'action of the gyroscope, the toothed wheel 0 rolls during this rocking movement over the teeth 6 and rotates the adjustable which is approximately equal to the angle of I re eated through the medium of the receiver connectedto the transmitter C, by the circuit-closin piece k and stop, k mounted on the armconnected to the said receiver G, in' such a manner that they are rotated through a similar' angle out of their original angular position. The gun barrel laterally laid upon the target is next rocked about the axis of the trunnions' by the elevating gear until the tongue 95 which is mounted on the axis of the trunnions and therefore takes part in the rocking movement of the gun barrel is again opposite the stop h As soon as this is the case the tongue 6 and the gun barrel have been rotated through an angle'corresponding tothe range of the target out of their original angular position. -The gun barrel therefore assumes an elevation corresponding to the range of the target in respect of the ship in its horizontal floating position and the firing of th hand. g If on the other hand the ship rolls and the firing of the gun is to be efiected automatigun takes place in this case by part of the transmitter C through an angle cally as the ship passes through the middle floating position at an instant, which lies by a period of time equal to the delay in firing, in advance of the instant in which theship passes through its middle floating position, it is necessary to adjust the two circuit-closing pieces For this purposethe motor K is set in motion and kept at a constant number of revos lution's. the motor K by the intermediate gears In, z'fl .'-3i consequently together with the ratchet lwhe'elz'? rotate with a uniform velocity.

H the direction of the arrow, :0, the stop the arm H bears againstthe' tongue i,

the pawl 2' leaves the recess '5 in the disk d m equently releases the pawl 23.

h and i with respect to each other through a preliminary ignition angle corresponding to the delay in firing.

The hollow shaft i connected to a Whentherefore by the rotation of the arm This latter bears, under the action of'the spring 2'", with its tooth i agamst the ratchet wheel z'.= By this means the coupling betweenthe hollow shaft i connected to the cam, and this results in a displacement ofthe circuit-closing piece if in such a direction that the. said circuit-closing P1868. 71 moves out of the way of the circult-closing piece b as this latter moves in the direction cam '5 is so designed geometrically that on the rotation of the said cam, the circult-closing piece 2' at first moves rapidly and then more and more slowly through such an angular amount that the circuit-closing piece It? liminary ignition angle in advance of the point in which the gun barrel assumes the before described elevation relatively to a a can be fired during the course of the rolling.

the tongue z' when the arm horizontal plane. At the instant of contact of-the circuit-closing piece 71 and h, the firing circuit is closed, the shot is fired and the projectile leaves the barrel exactly at the instant in which the'said barrel assumes the before described elevation angle in respect to a horizontal plane. On the further movement of the arm H the circuit-closing piece If and the, stop k comes out of the path of the circuit-closing piece 2' and the tongue 2', so that these parts can return under the influence of the tension springs 71 and 5 into the position shown in Fig. 2, as soonas the shaft with the disks 71 and 2' has made one complete revolution when the pawl 2' will again bear on the recess i i and against the pawl 2' 1, thus disconnecting" the shaft 2' from the hollow shaft i so that the shaft 2'" remains stationary.

In order to 'prevent the circuitclosing piece 71. and the stop it from coming into piece 2' and contact with the circuit-closin v is rotated in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow :0, means are provided by a movable arrangement (not shown) of the circuit-closing piece andthe stop'and an electro-magnetic device (likewise not shown) on the arm H which will insure that the circuitclosing piece 72 and stop k can only assume the position shown in the drawing, when the arm H moves in the direction of the arrow w. 1

Instead of being fired when the ship passes through the middle fioatingposition the gun movement of the ship by the aid of the above described fire control apparatus, also at an nstant in which the gun barrel has been adjusted by the rolling movement of the sh p to the elevationangle in respect of a horizontal plane which correspondsto the range of the target. In this case the adjustment of the sighting telescope and of the casing of the gyroscope takes place exactly as has'been already described, and the stop h accordingly assumes, an angular po- .sition' which is shifted by the angle of elevation with respect to its original adjustment. As the stop if retains this position during the further course of the rolling movement of the ship and its corresponding tongue 2' together with the gun barrel takes of the arrow as. The curvature of the disk part in the said rolling movement, there is a relative movement between the stop and the tongue. When in the course of thisrelat1ve movement the. stop it and the tongue 71 touch each other and the gun barrel has received through the rolling movement an elevation 'equal to the angle of elevation, the pinion gear inclosed-in the casing J is set in motion (as has already been described) and the shot automatically fired in the manner stated.

If the angle of roll of the ship is somewhat less than the necessary angle of elevation of the gun barrel, it is necessary in the last mentioned adjusting operation to impart to the gun barrel bythe elevating-gear, an eleence between the two angles.

The principal advantages of the fire control apparatus herein described are that the entire apparatus is simple and insures an accurate adjustment and that in particular the parts of the fire control apparatus pro.-

vided on the gun mounting have in addition to the simple construction all the advantages of a gyroscopic firing apparatus, without a separate gun layer being necessary for its operation. Moreover the whole apparatus besides being simple, insures accurate adjustment results, from the fact that the member carried on the gun mounting which indi- 'cates the desired elevation to be given to the gun barrel (i. e. the circuit-closing piece k is adjustable directly by a gyroscopic sighting apparatus suitable for marking the target and cooperates with a member (6. g, the circuit-closing piece 2' which takes part in, the elevating movements of the gun barrel and is adjustable tothe preliminary angle of ignition at the time.

The advantages explained are particularly obvious, ifas frequently happens in realitya number of guns are connected to a single gyroscopic sighting device placed at the observing station. I The construction shown in Fig. 5 diflers from the one described, by the fact that the receiver G instead of being mounted on the gun carriage F is mounted inside the box J fixed on the trunnion J and is provided withtwo field windings (not shown) of which one is connected by the long distance conductor E to the transmitter Clsee Fig. 1)

and the other by a conductor to an auxiliary transmitter N, which in 1ts turn is mounted on the gun carriage F. The shaft 16 of this auxiliary transm tter is connected through a bevel wheel gearing with a spur wheel P which gears into a of teeth a on the trunnion J. The electrical connection between the auxiliary transmitter N and the receiver G is such that a rotation of the trunnion J is corresponded to by anequally great but oppositely directed rotatlon of the.

then takes part in the rotation of the trun-.

nion. At the same time the auxiliary transmitter N, owin 'to its connection with the essary, to inteIrIpose between the receiver G a sun and planet gear, one

trunnionJ, is displaced by an anglewhich is approximately equal to the angle of rotation of the trunnion. Under the assumption, that the transmitter C remains at rest at the same time, the rotating part of the receiver G mounted on the trunnion J ad'usts itself in such a manner that the arm a rotation equal to the angle of rotation of the trunnions, but in the opposite direction and consequently retains its osition relatively to the gun carriage F. l f now a moving force say b the adjustment of the trans mitter C (see i'g. 1) acts on the receiver G in addition to the'one transmitted from the auxiliary transmitter N, the arm 11 assumes relatively to the gun carriage F thatposition which corres onds to the adjustmentof the transmitter and consequently of the sighting telescope N. The cooperation .of the stop 72. and of the circuit-closing piecek with the tongue and .the circuit-closing.

piece '5 takes place correspondingly accurately as in the construction first described.

I Of course it would be. possible, without departing from the invention, instead of providing the receiver G with two field windings, one of which is supplied by the transmitter G and the other-by the auxiliary transmitter N, as in the last described construction to employ one receiver, which, as shownin Fig. 1, is merely electrically connected to the transmitter C, but at the same time is mounted on the'trunnion J as is shown in Fig. 5. In this case it is only necand' the arm I wheel of which is connected to a toothed wheel which can roll over a toothed sector rigidly connected to the v carriage F. In

.tively connected so as to take is given "carriage.

the arm H with respect to the gun carriage F remains the same. a v

The above described arrangement of the receiver G on the trunnion'J instead of on the gun carriage F affords the .advantage th-at the accuracy and reliability of the adjustment of. the arm H is not prejudicially affected by the clearancewhich may exist between the trunnion and the gun carria In add1tion,-this arrangement enables t e receiver G to be brought, together with the circuit-closing pieces k 11*,w1thin the casing- J? fixed on the trunnion. Claims.

1 An apparatus of the class described whlch comprises a. sighting device, means forsta'bilizing said sighting device, an indicator mounted adjacent the trunnion of a-gun, electrical means operatively connecting the sighting device'- t6 the indicator, a

circuit closing piece carried by said indi-.

cator,, a second indicator cotiperating with the first mentioned indicator, and operaart in the elevatlng movement of the gun arrel,'said second indicator embodying means which cooperate with the first mentioned indicator and circuit-closing piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An apparatus of the class described which comprises a sighting device, means for stabilizmgsaid sighting device, an arm arranged adjacent a gun, an electrical trans,

mission operatively connectingthe sightin device to the arm, said arm being provide with a stop and circuit closin plece, means operatively connectedto an taking part in the elevation of the gun said means 00- operating with said stop and circuit closmg piece vfor automatically adjusting the advanced ignition ap aratus.

3; An apparatus 0 the class described which comprises a sighting device, a gyroscopie apparatus for stabihzing said device, an indicator, electric transmisslon means operatively connecting the sighting device to the indicator, and including a receiver, a casing mounted upon a trunnion of the gun, a circuit closing device carried by' said indicator, a second indicator cooperating with said first mentioned indicator,.said second indicator being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, additional means contained in said casing and operatively connected to said second indicator ,for automatically adjusting the advanced ignition apparatus, said: additional means cooperating with said circuit closing device for'closing an ignition circuit, said receiverbelng mounted upon the gun 4. An apparatus of the class described stabilizing said sig ting 'cator, a clreuit closing piece carried by said indicator, an electric long distance transmission including a transmitter and receiver for operatively connecting the sighting device to the indicator, a casing mounted on the gun trunnion and containing said receiver, a cooperating pointer in said casing, an automatic firing delay apparatus in said casing operatively connected to said pointer, means mounted on the gun carriage for retaining said indicator in the angular position prescribed by, the adjustment of the sighting device, said circuit closing piece and automatic firing delay apparatus cooperating to close a firing circuit.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sighting device, a gyroscopic apparatus fo'r stabilizing said sighting device, an indicator comprising a stop and a circuit closing piece, electric transmission means operatively connecting the sighting device to said indicator, indicating means cooperating with said first mentioned indicator, said second indicator being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rota movement, said second indicator embodying a circuit closing piece, a tongue and an advanced ignition apparatus the circuit closing piece of said first and secondindicators cooperating to close a firing circuit.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sighting device, a gyroscopic apparatus for stabilizing said device, an indicator having a stop and a circuit closing piece, electrictransmission means operatively connecting the sighting device to the indicator and including a receiver, a second indicator cooperating with said first indicator, said second indicator being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, a casing containing said indicators, said second indicator being provided with a tongue, a circuit closing piece, and an advanced ignition apparatus cooperating therewith, the contact piece of said first and second indicators during the cooperative movement of the indicators being adapted to contact to close an electrical firing circuit.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sighting device, means for stabilizing said sighting device, an indicator mounted adjacent to the trunnion of a gun, means for operatively connected said indicator to said sighting device, a contact and a stop carried by said indicator, asecond contact cooperating with the first-mentioned contact and a second stop cooperating with said first-mentioned stop, said second contact and stop being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, a casing mounted to take part in the rotary movement of the gun trunnion, a ratchet gear and a cam in said casing, an automatic clutch for coupling said cam to said ratchet gear in the moment of cooperation of the two stops and means for driving one part of said clutch with a constant speed.

The foregoing specification signed at Essen, Germany, this 16th day of June, 1920.

DR. WALTHER AKEMANN.

In presence of- HANS GorrrsMANN, JoHANN- A. Dnomms. 

